ATLANTA – Tyson Foods Inc. and the USDA’s US Meat Animal Research Center received honors from the American Meat Institute and AMI Foundation during the International Production and Processing Exposition in Atlanta. The awards are given annually and recognize individuals from industry, academia or government whose professional contributions positively impact the meat and poultry industry.

Tyson Foods was awarded the Edward C. Jones Community Service Award. The award is named in honor of former AMI Board member, the late Edward C. Jones of Jones Dairy Farm, in Ft. Atkinson, Wis. AMI recognized Tyson's participation in hunger and disaster relief efforts. In 2012, Tyson launched the “Meals That Matter” disaster relief program in which the company deployed a special mobile feeding unit equipped to enhance the company's disaster relief efforts.

“Clearly, the caring nature of Tyson team members is not new,” said AMI Chairman Nick Meriggioli, president of Kraft Foods., Inc./Oscar Mayer. “Their significant new efforts this year through the Meals that Matter Disaster Relief program that played such an important role in Hurricane Sandy relief makes the company very worthy of the 2013 Edward C. Jones Community Service Award.” 

The Foundation honored USDA-USMARC for meat science research on both meat quality and safety. Recently, researchers conducted projects on detection of and postharvest interventions for non-O157 STEC that the beef industry used to demonstrate that a food safety management system in control forE. coli O157:H7 was also in control for other Shiga toxin-producing E. coli. 

“The Center’s groundbreaking research has served the meat industry well in producing a better product for our customers,” said Meriggioli, who is also AMIF chairman. “This group’s active publication in peer reviewed journals, as well as the design of standard research protocols that are recognized as global standards, have contributed enormously to the safety of meat and poultry products.”

Source: MeatPoultry.com